pizzi



July 19, 1955 A. PlZZl 2,713,416

RECIPROCAL FEED CARRIAGE WITH CONSTANT BRAKE DRAG Filed Sept. 4, 1953 3Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ,4. L. P/ZZ/ By MM A. L. PlZZl July 19, 1955RECIPROCAL FEED CARRIAGE WITH CONSTANT BRAKE DRAG Filed Sept. 4, 1955 3Sheets-Sheet 2 v Qk INVENTOR A. L. P/ZZ/ ATTORNEY July 19, 1955 A. PlZZl2,713,416

RECIPROCAL FEED CARRIAGE WITH CONSTANT BRAKE DRAG Filed Sept. 4, 1955 sSheets-Sheet s INVENTOR A. L. P/ZZ/ MW- k A TTORNEY United States PatentRECIPROCAL FEED CARRIAGE WITH CONSTANT BRAKE DRAG Albert L. Pizzi,Newark, N. J., assignor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, NewYork, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application September 4, 1953,Serial No. 378,487

2 Claims. (Cl. 203-159) This invention relates to reciprocal feedcarriage with constant brake drag and more particularly to apparatus forfeeding strip material of irregular cross-section to a cutter.

In the telephone industry, for example, spacers for use betweentelephone cables and their supporting or messenger cables are sometimesmade by reclaiming scrap plastic, such as polyethylene, extruding it tothe required cross-section and cutting into suitable spacer lengths. Theirregular cross-sectional contour of these spacers and the fact thatspacers of several different crosssectional dimensions and lengths arerequired, present special problems in automatically feeding the stripsto the cutter.

The object of the present invention is an apparatus providing a solutionto these problems.

With this and other objects in view, the invention comprises a materialfeeding apparatus for feeding material longitudinally in a given pathand including a carriage supported for reciprocable movement and havingelements therein adapted for actuation relative to each other. Animportant feature of the invention is an operable means, connected tothe elements and the carriage, and adapted to actuate them in timedrelation with each other whereby the material will be gripped and thenadvanced a given distance.

In the present embodiment of the invention, the apparatus, interposedbetween an extruder and a cutting unit, includes sets of rollers, someof which are adjustable, to advance materials of different thicknesses.A control unit, also adjustable for the materials of varied thicknesses,permits free movement of the materials singly in a given path yetprevents their movement in the opposite direction. The unit includingthe carriage and grlpping elements for advancing the material varieddistances includes one gripping element adjustable for the varyingdimensions of the materials and another gripping element carried by onearm of a lever pivoted on the carriage and connected to a reciprocablepower means. The carriage, having a constant brake drag applied thereto,may be moved forwardly in one direction after the material has beengripped by the elements and rearwardly after the material has beenreleased by the elements.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdetailed description when considered m conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a front elevational view of the apparatus shown in conjunctionwith a cutting unit;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary end elevational View of the cutting unitillustrating one of the control switches for the drive or power means;

Fig. 3 is an isometric view of an article cut from one of the materials;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view of a portion of the apparatusillustrating the three main units of the apparatus; t

Fig. 5 is an end elevational view of the roller guiding unit;

Fig. 6 is an isometric view of the intermediate unit, and

2,713,416 Patented July 19, 1955 "ice Fig. 7 is an isometric view of thefeeding unit.

Referring now to the drawings, attention is first directed to Fig. 1which illustrates the apparatus 10 mounted adjacent a cutting machine 11for feeding a material 12 to the cutter 14 of the machine. The cutter 14is mounted for reciprocation on a tool holder 15 of a ram 16, the rambeing connected in the conventional manner to a crank shaft 17 which maybe driven in the conventional manner. The crank shaft has a cam 18adjustably mouted thereon and adapted to actuate the plunger of amicroswitch 19 at a given time during each operating cycle of themachine. A chute 20 is positioned to receive articles 21 cut from thematerial 12. The machine if may be provided with the conventionalstationary material supporting structure 23 having a surface cooperatingwith the cutter 14 to cut the given lengths from the material 12.

The apparatus 10 includes a base or mounting plate 25 supported in themanner shown by the table 26 at 27 and by a bracket 28 fixed to themachine 11.

The apparatus 10 is composed mainly of three units 31, 32 and 33. Theseunits are shown more in detail in Fig. 4 and individually in Figs. 5, 6and 7. First, attention is directed to the material 12, thecross-sectional contour of which is illustrated more clearly in Fig. 3,illustrating the article cut from the material. This material includes acentral or body portion 35 having a small longitudinal groove 36 in theupper portion thereof and a large longitudinal groove 37 in the lowerportion thereof forming leg portions 38 and 39. The material 12 isextruded polyethylene and the variations in the dimensions of thematerials lie solely in the distances between the recesses 36 and 37.

With these thoughts in mind, it is apparent that the conventional pairsof rollers could not be utilized to advance these materials singly. Itis necessary, therefore, that the roller unit 31 be composed of a toproller 41 having a cross-sectional contour partially conforming to therecess 36 and a bottom roller 42 having a crosssectional contoursubstantially conforming to the recess 37. Furthermore, side rollers 43and 44 have contours partially conforming to the sides of the body 35 tocooperate with the rollers 41 and 42 to assure accurate guiding of thematerial in a given path. To compensate for the variations in thedimensions of the various materials to be fed to the machine 11, the toproller 41 (as illustrated in Fig. 4) is supported at 46 for verticaladjustment predetermined distances from the bottom roller 42. Therollers 41 to 44 inclusive, are mounted on their respective spindles,the spindle of the roller 41 being journalled in a bracket 47,adjustable on a main frame 48, while the spindle for the other roller isjournalled in suitable hearings in the main frame which is mounted onthe panel or base 25.

Attention is now directed to the intermediate unit 32 which includes aframe 50 mounted on the base 25 and provided with material guidingelements 51 and 52. The elements 51 and 52 fixedly mounted on pivots 53and 54- respectively, have their inner or adjacent faces 55 and 56formed (as illustrated in Fig. 4) for a purpose herematter described.The pivot 53 for the lower element 51 has a bent arm 57 connectedthereto, the upper end of the arm being connected to a spring 58extending from a fixed connection 59 on the frame 50, whereby theelement 51 will be urged normally clockwise about the axis of its pivotagainst a stop (not shown).

The upper element 52 has its pivot 54 journalled in a sleeve 60, theupper end of the element 52 being engaged by a spring-pressed plunger 61adapted to apply a variable force to the element normally urging itcounterclockwise about its pivot 54. The sleeve is movably disposed in ahollow portion 63 of the frame 50 and pro-' vided with internal threads6-1 for interconnection with an adjusting screw supported for rotationin a cover plate 66 but held against longitudinal movement thereinwhereby rotation of the adjusting screw in either direction will movethe sleeve 60 vertically in either direction to cause relative movementof the elements 5.1, namely movement of the element 52 relative to theelement 5 A pointer 67, movable in a vertically extending slot 68relative to indications (not shown) on the adjacent surface of the frame50, provides means to indicate the relative positions of the elements 51and 52 for the materials of various sizes.

The unit 33 (shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 7) includes a carriage 70 havingoutwardly extending side portions 71 of a lower member 72 slidable in aguideway 73 including guide-plates 74. An element '76 disposed in arecess 77 is urged constantly against the adjacent side 71 of thecarriage by springs 78 to provide a brake drag on the carriage.

The carriage 70 has a sleeve 80 disposed in a hollow portion thereof andprovided with internal threads 81 to receive an adjusting screw 82supported for rotation in a cover plate 83 but held against longitudinalmovement whereby rotation of the adjusting screw may move the sleevevertically in either direction. A pointer $4- carried by the sleeve andmovable in a vertically extending slot 85 relative to indications in theouter surface of the carriage (not shown), may assist in positioning thesleeve at any given position depending upon the size of the materialbeing fed by the apparatus. The sleeve 31 is bifurcated to receive agripping element 87 rockably supported by a pivot 88 carried by thesleeve. A gripping element 89 is rockably supported on a pivot 90carried by a bifurcated arm 91 of a lever 92. The lever 92 is pivotallyconnected at 93 to the carriage 7t.- and has an arm 94 extending throughan aperture in the base of the carriage and also through an elongateaperture 95 in the base 25. The arm 94 of the lever is pivotallyconnected at 96 to a piston rod 97 of an air cylinder 98, the aircylinder being mounted rigidly on the undersurface of the base 25.

The air cylinder 93 may be connected to an air supply line (not shown)and be under the control of solenoid valves adapted for actuation underthe controls of the microswitch 19 and the microswitch (Fig. 7). Theswitch 19 controls the valve to cause forward movement of the carriageto the left (Fig. 4) by like movement of the piston rod 97, while theswitch 100 determines the stopping of the forward movement and thereversing of the power means 98 by movement to the right of the pistonrod 97. Actuation of the switch 100 is under the control of anadjustable cam 101 mounted at 102 on the side of the carriage 70.

Considering now the operation of the apparatus, let it be assumed thatthe apparatus, particularly the units 31, 32 and 33, are set for a givensize of material which may be threaded initially through the apparatus.The machine 11 may then be set in operation causing reciprocation of itscutter 14 in timed relation with the cam 18 which will operate theswitch 19 at a predetermined time during each operating cycle of themachine. This time coincides approximately with the start of the returnportion of the operating cycle of the machine, that is, the upwardmovement of the cutter, so that the cutter is free or above the cuttingarea during the feeding cycle of the apparatus. Closing of the switch 19will cause operation of the air cylinder to move the rod 97 to the left.During the initial portion of this movement, the carriage remains heldagainst motion due to the brake drag of the element 76 so that the lever92 will be rotated clockwise, moving the element 89 to cause theelements 89 and 87 to grip the material after which continued movementof the rod 97 will cause application of increased gripping action on thematerial and movement of the carriage forwardly to feed a given lengthof the material to the machine. This given length is determined by theposition of the earn 101 to actuate the switch 190, stopping movement ofthe piston rod 97 forwardly and causing it to move rearwardly or to theright. The braking force originating in the element 76 applied to thecarriage, holds the carriage against rearward movement until the rod 97has rocked the lever 92 about its pivot 93 to move the gripping element89 away from the element 87 to free the material whereby the elementswith the carriage may be returned to their starting position.

During the return of the carriage, the material may rest on the lowerelement 39, but to assure against any rearward motion of the material,the unit 32, through the function of its elements 51 and 52 and theforces embodied in the spring 58 and the spring pressed plunger 61,causes the eiemcnts to grip the material and hold it against rearward.movement. The frictional contact between the surfaces 55 and 5-6 of theelements 51 and 52 are such that during longitudinal advancement of thematerial, these elements may be rocked about their pivots whereby thesloping away contours of the surfaces will free the material forlongitudinal advancement. However, the contours of the surfaces 55 and56, when forced by their resilient means into gripping engagement withthe material, will assure against backward movement thereof.

Therefore, through the aid of the three main units 31, 32 and 33 of theapparatus, the material of the irregular cross-sectional contour whichmay vary in size, may be advanced accurately to a processing machine,such as a cutter where these materials of various sizes will be cut intopredetermined variable lengths.

it is to be understood that the above described an rangements are simplyillustrative of the application of. the principles of the invention.Numerous other arrangements may be readily devised by those skilled inthe art which will embody the principles of the invention and fallwithin the spirit and scope thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A materiai feeding apparatus comprising means to guide a materiallongitudinally in a given path, means limiting movement of the materialto one direction, a carriage, means to support the carriage forreciprocal movement parallel with the path, a gripping member mounted inthe carriage adjacent the path, a lever pivotally supported by thecarriage and having arms extending in different directions, a grippingelement supported by one of the arms of the lever adjacent the path,moving means connected to the other arm of the lever to move the leverto cause the gripping element to cooperate with the gripping member togrip the material and then move the carriage to advance the material,and a brake drag for the carriage to hold the carriage against forwardor backward movements until the elements have gripped and released thematerial.

2. An apparatus for feeding material longitudinally in a given pathcomprising a carriage, means to support the carriage for reciprocalmovement parallel with the path, means operable to reciprocate thecarriage forward and backward, means actnable in timed relation with thereciprocation of the carriage to cause the elements to grip the materialprior to the forward movement of the carriage to cause the elements torelease the material prior to the backward movement of the carriage, anda brake drag for the carriage to hold the carriage against forward orbackward movements until the elements have gripped and released thematerial.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS293,538 Sunderland Feb. 12, 1884 344,819 Eckerson July 6, 1386 703,183Chapin June 24, 1902 1,059,338 Bammer Apr. 22, 1913 1,132,111 Nunn Mar.16, 1915 2,518,172 Packer Aug. 8, 1950

